Uber

2019 to bring higher prices for New York ride-sharing

Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A new congestion fee in Manhattan's busiest zones and an upcoming first-of-its-kind minimum wage rule for ride-sharing drivers will cause the costs of using Uber and Lyft around New York City to spike in 2019, Bloomberg reports.

The big picture: The $2.75 fee for ride-sharing vehicles — $2.50 for yellow taxis — takes effect Jan. 1 as a part of Uber- and Lyft-backed efforts to reduce congestion, allowing ride-sharing services to complete trips faster and pick up more customers. Meanwhile, Uber has fought against the new wage rules for its drivers set to come into effect later in January as well as a freeze on ride-sharing licenses in New York.

Starbucks to tackle slow growth with UberEats deal, China expansion

About 3,500 U.S. Starbucks stores will partner with UberEats beginning in 2019 and the company will double its outlets in China over the next four years to combat competition, Reuters said.

Why it matters: The Seattle-based coffee giant is fighting slow growth and as a result has slimmed down its brand by adding more drinks and food, closing Teavana stores, and shuttering 150 stores. Starbucks has not been able to drive customers into the stores based on hefty competition from small coffee chains and local coffee joints thats serve fresh food, per Reuters.